Disease rights policy

Xu Shangjian bowed to Wang Zhi. The arrival of the Imperial City Guard meant that things were starting to get complicated.

Wang Zhi's gaze swept over Xu Shangjian and the young ladies behind her, and he said, "Shufang Palace is temporarily under the supervision of the Imperial City Guard. Xu Shangjian, I am ordered to take a few young ladies for questioning."

Supervisor Xu: "Has something happened?"

Wang Zhi: "Liu Yun is dead."

"What!" Xu Shangjian took a step back in shock. The matter was far more serious than she had expected. Not only had a murder occurred in the palace, but the victim was also a young lady from an official family.

The young ladies behind Xu Shangjian also turned pale. Although they had some cunning, they never imagined that someone who was alive and well yesterday would be dead today.

"How could Liu Yun be dead?"

"I don't know... It's terrifying."

Some people had already covered their mouths and started crying, desperately wanting to go home.

"Lord Wang, Liu Yun was treated at the Imperial Hospital last night and has been sent home to recuperate. How could she have died so suddenly in just one night..." Supervisor Xu was not incapable of taking a life, but she could not bear the death of the daughter of the Censor-in-Chief. A look of panic appeared on her face.

Wang Zhi didn't say much, only saying, "The Imperial City Guard is acting on orders. Before the matter is clarified, no one in Shufang Palace may leave."

After he finished speaking, guards sealed off Shufang Palace.

Consort Sun collapsed to the ground. She was the one who punished Liu Yun by making her practice extra at night, so she naturally bore some responsibility for what happened. She was afraid she couldn't stay in her position as Consort.

"Qiao Xiaoran," Wang Zhi called out, but his gaze did not fall on Qiao Ran at the end. Instead, he stared at Xu Shangjian and said, "Which one is Miss Qiao? The Vice Envoy wants to interrogate her personally."

Xu Shangjian glanced back at Qiao Ran, still trying to protect her at this moment. "Lord Wang, why take Qiao Ran away? She has nothing to do with this matter."

Wang Zhi, with his stern and impartial demeanor and upright face, said, "Everyone who has been in contact with Liu Yun must be interrogated. Supervisor, let Miss Qiao come with us."

Xu Shangjian had no choice but to let Qiao Ran be taken away. When Qiao Ran walked to the front, her already fair face was completely bloodless, as if she was very frightened. She lowered her head slightly and walked slowly.

Xu Shangjian comforted her, "Don't be afraid, just answer whatever you're asked."

Qiao Ran nodded slightly and followed Wang Zhi.

She wasn't afraid of being implicated in Liu Yun's affair; she was more afraid of Wang Zhi recognizing her!

Wang Zhi was under the command of the deputy commander of the Imperial City Guard; they had met in Sichuan.

It was truly a case of one problem leading to another; Qiao Ran broke out in a cold sweat after walking for only a short while.

Wang Zhi, who was in front, suddenly turned around, as if waiting for Qiao Ran. Qiao Ran met his eyes and felt a little embarrassed. She stammered, "Your...Lord Wang."

Where were you last night?

Qiao Ran looked up. Wang Zhi's voice was very low. He was a shoulder's distance away from her and did not turn around when he spoke. Only the two of them could hear his voice.

Qiao Ran had her doubts, but since things had come to this point, she could only take a gamble. "I'm in Shufang Palace."

"Didn't go out?"

"No."

Wang Zhi paused for a moment, then emphasized again, "Where were you when Liu Yun fell into the water?"

Qiao Ran: "Shufang Palace."

She stayed in her room all night and did not go to Fengxing Pavilion again.

“Someone has accused you of pushing Liu Yun into the water,” Wang Zhi said. “She said she saw it with her own eyes, and that the Grand Chancellor even knows about it. This morning at court, it even reached the Emperor’s ears, and the Emperor ordered the Imperial City Guard to investigate the matter thoroughly.”

Qiao Ran was taken aback. She went through the names of the people she was pointing the finger at one by one, and asked doubtfully, "He Yingying?"

Wang Zhi, who was in front, nodded slightly.

She guessed correctly. He Yingying was close to Liu Yun, and she was the most likely person in the entire Shufang Palace to frame her.

Qiao Ran: "How did Liu Yun die?"

Wang Zhi said, "The poison has taken effect."

Qiao Ran was taken aback again. How could Liu Yun have been poisoned? Although she had drowned last night, she should not have been in mortal danger after being rescued. It was impossible for her to die suddenly overnight after returning home.

It turned out to be poisoning. Who would poison Liu Yun?

These interconnected schemes were all aimed at her. Qiao Ran felt helpless; she was truly unlucky.

Without time to think further, Qiao Ran quickened her pace as they were approaching the Imperial City Guard office. She glanced at Wang Zhi, who must have recognized her. Since he recognized her, why didn't he ask more questions and instead revealed so much information to her? This was even more suspicious.

Qiao Ran didn't trust anyone inside the palace walls; she feared that the slightest misstep would lead to her utter ruin.

So he asked, "Why did you help me, Lord Wang?"

She deliberately used the word "help" to judge Wang Zhi's morality. After a moment of silence, Qiao Ran could hear the wind blowing through the garden.

"Entrusted by others."

Qiao Ran pressed further, "Who asked you to do this?"

Wang Zhi did not answer her again. The Imperial City Guard was located in the southeast corner and occupied a considerable area. As Wang Zhi entered, various weapons and instruments of torture were displayed openly in the courtyard. After several twists and turns, they finally arrived at the pavilion where the trial was to be held.

Rows of bungalows stood crowded together. Something had been poured into the flowerbeds by the door, causing the trees to wither and die. Bloodstains remained on the doorframes, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.

Qiao Ran was pushed into one of the rooms, which contained only a table and a chair. The light was dim, and a person was sitting on the chair. He was dressed in a black patterned flying fish robe, with deep-set eyebrows. He looked fiercer than anyone Qiao Ran had ever seen. The moment he looked up at Qiao Ran, she felt as if she were frozen, with a chilling coldness rising to her very bones.

Unlike Yao Yuze's fierceness, the person in front of him exuded a chilling aura, making anyone who saw him feel dangerous.

Qiao Ran slowly walked in, her expression calm, and said softly, "Greetings, Vice Envoy."

"You're Qiao Xiaoran?"

Wen Shao was frightening when he wasn't smiling. He slightly raised his long eyebrows and slowly selected the knives placed on the table. If it were anyone else, this scene alone would be enough to make them cry. But Qiao Ran just stood there and replied, "Yes."

Wen Shao's subordinate stopped what he was doing and asked the same question as Wang Zhi, "Where were you last night?"

The question emanating from him carried a chilling, murderous aura.

Qiao Ran replied as always, "Shufang Palace."

"Didn't go out?"

"No?" Qiao Ran felt Wen Shao's gaze burning on her, as if it could penetrate her.

Wen Shao had been in the Imperial City Guard for many years, and his reputation was not good at all. Countless prisoners had died at his hands, including many innocent people. However, he always adhered to the cold-blooded principle of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free".

A shadow fell over him, and Wen Shao stood up. “The Censor’s beloved daughter has actually gotten into trouble in the palace. How dare someone commit murder right under the noses of my Imperial City Guard? I was curious about who this powerful person was, but after investigating, it turns out it’s all related to the scheming and infighting among women.”

Qiao Ran kept her head down and didn't move.

“Liu Yun was already poisoned when she left the palace last night. First she fell into the water, then she was poisoned,” Wen Shao walked to Qiao Ran’s side. He looked down at her, and Qiao Ran seemed to smell a stench of decay from him, like a vulture that had eaten a corpse in the wilderness. His threatening and intimidating voice rang heavily in Qiao Ran’s ears, “Someone is determined to kill Liu Yun. Is that person you?”

Qiao Ran suddenly turned her head, a look of panic flashing in her eyes, but she said resolutely, "My lord, please investigate, it wasn't me."

“But you pushed Liu Yun into the water last night, yet she didn’t die.”

Qiao Ran could hear her own heartbeat. "My lord, I did not leave Shufang Palace last night. How could I have pushed Liu Yun into the water?"

“Someone saw it.” Wen Shao’s lips curled into a smile.

"Who saw it?" Qiao Ran said, "Sir, why don't you call her here and we confront her face to face?"

Wen Shao was using psychological tactics. He never took Qiao Ran seriously. If Qiao Ran really did kill the person, her subtle expressions would betray her under the barrage of questioning.

If she hadn't killed him, being threatened by Wen Shao like that would have made her tremble and slur her words. In her haste, she would have revealed her weaknesses and suffered some kind of loss at Wen Shao's hands.

So, stay calm.

Qiao Ran stared intently at Wen Shao with clear eyes.

Wen Shao suddenly had a dirty dagger in his hand. Without any tenderness, he placed it on Qiao Ran's fair face, making her shiver from the cold.

Do you know when Liu Yun was poisoned?

After considering her answer carefully, Qiao Ran replied, "I don't know."

"Guess it."

Qiao Ran remained silent for a long time. She was unsure of Wen Shao's thoughts. In fact, after Wang Zhi reminded Liu Yun that she had been poisoned, she had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

During Liu Yun's rescue from the water, the imperial physician stayed by her side the whole time, so she must not have been poisoned at that time. Moreover, the Empress ordered the Imperial Censor to take Liu Yun back to her residence, but Liu Yun died of poisoning after returning home. Therefore, the poisoning could only have occurred between the time she was sent out of Shufang Palace and the time she left the palace.

Since the poison is aimed at her, it would be best to use it on Princess Shufang, because that would be the only time she might succeed.

So the poisoning happened when the young ladies gathered around to send Liu Yun away. The scene was a bit chaotic at the time, and no one saw whether she had actually approached the unconscious Liu Yun. It was the perfect opportunity to frame her. How could she prove herself with just empty words?

But she remained silent and did not answer Wen Shao.

Wen Shao sneered, "The young ladies of Shufang Palace said that you and Liu Yun had a long-standing grudge, and that you slapped her in front of everyone on the first day. You also had open and covert struggles with her on a daily basis. Did you kill her to vent your anger?"

A bucket of dirty water was poured over her head, and Qiao Ran felt as if she were covered in the stench of excrement. "A little conflict between young ladies is not enough to make me kill someone to vent my anger. Does the Vice Envoy really think that I killed Liu Yun based on a few false accusations?"

Wen Shao: "Take a guess, is that really what I think?"

Qiao Ran: "..."

"There are witnesses to the story of pushing Liu Yun into the water, but what about poisoning her?" Wen Shao suddenly clapped his hands and said towards the door, "There is also physical evidence."

poison?

Qiao Ran frowned, and immediately a guard came in and reported, "Sir, this poison was found in Qiao Xiaoran's room."

Wen Shao took it and placed it on the table in front of Qiao Ran, coldly saying, "How else can you argue?"

Qiao Ran's palms were sweating. The newcomer was not only hostile, but also well-prepared, making it impossible for her to defend herself!

With witnesses and physical evidence, this is an attempt to kill her!

“I have nothing to deny,” Qiao Ran smiled slowly. “Such a clumsy trick, does it look like something I would do?”

"Oh?" Wen Shao's interest in her was piqued.

“If I wanted to kill Liu Yun, why would I go to such lengths? I have a thousand ways to make her die silently,” Qiao Ran said. “Push her into the water first, and if she doesn’t die, then take the opportunity to strike again. And then put the poison in your own room to be searched. Am I stupid, or have you not seen enough of the same methods?”

Wen Shao narrowed his eyes slightly. "The Imperial City Guard judges cases based on evidence. No matter how eloquent you are, we can still bring you down. Guards!"

Qiao Ran suddenly shouted sharply, "Wait a minute, sir!"